In what category is Boston Ale?

Grains, malts, hops, yeast, water and other ingredients used to brew. Recipe reviews and suggestions.

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l48shark
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In what category is Boston Ale?

Post by l48shark »

I really enjoy Sam Adams' Boston Ale. I was wondering what style of ale this is. I would like to try brewing something like this. Can anyone tell me?

Cheers,
Ford
Brad
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An American Pale Ale?

Post by Brad »

I am not positive, I have not had a Boston ale in some time, but it must be a ple ale of some sort,(I'm thinking American Pale Ale because of the bitterness). The Sam Adams web site calls it a "stock ale" and gives a discreption along with a short ingredient list which could be a great start for your clone recipe.
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Not an APA

Post by l48shark »

It's definitely not an APA as it is not brewed with American hops. It is also unlike any pale ale I have had. Is "stock ale" really a style? Thanks for the tip; for those interested, the following is from their website (www.samadams.com):

Taste the combination of spicy bitterness and an earthy, herbal character from the hops. The malty and sweet finish is reminiscent of a lager. Hold Boston Ale up to the light and appreciate its deep red amber color. This beautiful glow comes from two-row Harrington and crystal malts, which are added in generous quantities to brew Samuel Adams Boston Ale to a higher original gravity than most ales. Traditional ale hops, Saaz, Kent, Fuggles, and Goldings, impart a complex bitterness and an earthy, herbal aroma.
Enjoy the way ale tasted a century ago. Samuel Adams Boston Ale is brewed and fermented in the traditional ale manner, but it is then aged in cool rooms called "stock cellars." This aging or "lagering" makes Boston Ale richer than most ales, imparting a characteristic body and smoothness. A traditional top fermenting ale yeast is used to provide a warm ale fermentation. The brew is krausened like a lager during the fermentation. The beer is then laid down to age for a long, slow aging characteristic of traditional lagers.

Cheers,
Ford
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Cream ale?

Post by jayhawk »

So it sounds like a blend of lager and ale characteristics...does that equal cream ale?
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Old ale/steam traits

Post by Gravity Thrills »

I'd call it a combination of an English Old Ale and a California Common Beer. It's not a true steam because it uses ale yeast instead of the kind of warm temp-tolerant lager yeast Anchor Steam uses. But, the extended aging at cooler temperatures is more like steam. Old ales use a similar aging, but that would be at celler temperatures, and the brewery's description of this beer sounds like they are aging at cold temps more typical of lagers. Boston Ale also doesn't have the strength associated with most traditional old ales. That's my take.

I also like this beer, but I have noticed it can be inconsistent in flavor quality. I assume this is the fault of the distributors, and I have encountered this with other Sam Adam's offerings as well.

Cheers,
Jim
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Sam Adams is not an ale, it's a Lager

Post by Azorean Brewer »

Ford,

I have been drinking Sam Adams for a long time, and don't recall a Boston Ale, I am very familiar with the Boston Lager though. So if they indtorduced a Boston Ale it's new. Sam Adams makes two of their origanl brews that started off their whole line way back in the late 80's early 90's. They were the Boston Lager and the Stock Ale. Check to see if the Boston that you refer to is a Lager? If it is, here is the recipe right out of "Clone Brews" Pg. 156.

Yield:5 gallons
O.G. 1.049 - 1.052
S.G. 1.011-1.013
IBU: 35
ABV: 4.9%

Sam Adams Boston Lager:
9 pounds 2 row pale malt
1/2 pound 60L Crystal malt
1 1/2 oz. Tettnanger pellet hops 90 minutes
1/2 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfruh pellet hop 15 min.
1 teaspoon Irish Moss 15 min.
1/2 oz. Tettnanger pellet hops 2 min.
1'st choice Wyeast 2006 Bavarian Lager yeast
2'nd choice Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager yeast

1/4 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfruh dry hop

This recipe calls for a decoction mash, but they state that a double infussion mash will work ok, that is 122F for 30 min. and then 150F for 60 min.

Write back with comments and / or questions OK. Let me know your findings.

Paul.
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Stock Ale = Boston Ale

Post by l48shark »

Paul,

You are correct, they started with 2 beers. Boston Lager was the first and Boston Ale was the second. (Check their website.) It is the same as what you are referring to as Stock Ale. Where I live we have Boston Lager and Ale, but nothing called Stock Ale. Is it sold as Stock Ale where you live? The lager is good, but the ale is great. :)

Cheers,
Ford
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take stock

Post by Gravity Thrills »

On the older, red-back labels of the Ale, the words "Stock Ale" appeared on teh banners underneath the picture of "Brewer/Patriot" Adams. In later years, when the portrait of Sam mysteriously started looking more and more like Chris from the show Northern Exposure than the portly patriot he started out as, I think the words "Stock Ale" appeared started to appear in smaller letters to the side of the main Boston Ale lettering and logo, with "Boston Ale" now appearing in the banners. I am not sure how the new label is set up now that they have gone to a straight text line of labels.
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Sold as Stock Ale

Post by Azorean Brewer »

Ford,

I will look for a recipe that emulates the Boston/Stock ale. I never noticed that it was called Boston ale, it is sold as Stock ale here. Take care and I'll write if I find anything ... Cheers.

Paul
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Hey gumshoes

Post by jayhawk »

I hate to rain on the sleuthing parade...but why don't you contact the brewery and ask them what style the ale stock lager Boston brewer bottle beer you are wondering about is? You can also find out why they package the same beer differently for different markets.
l48shark
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No Fun!

Post by l48shark »

Sure, take all the fun out if it! :D E-mail sent. I will let you know what I hear, if anything.

Cheers,
Ford
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A little known fact...

Post by andytv »

While visiting kinfolk in Florida a year ago, I went to EPCOT center (great for a world beer tour). I was lucky enough to be involved in a Sam Adams tasting event (they were chowcasing the new weizen before they released it). Anyway, and this is right from the horse's mouth, Sam Adams was apparently a rather homely looking gentleman; not worthy of decorating a beer label, so the person on the label is.................. Paul Revere!

Regarding beer styles; BJCP has (i believe) a sub-category under American Pale Ale called "American Amber Ale". This seems a little closer to my recollection of SA stock ale, but they always seem to use european hops.

What does everyone think of Sam Adams Light?? I tasted it for the first time last week.

Andy
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SA Beer School

Post by Gravity Thrills »

Andy, this past month at EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival, Sam Adam's hosted a beer school that gave a quick synopsis of Brewing in America, and allowed guests to sample their range of products. Jim Kocj can still be a real pr*ck sometimes, but that was a nice event and I do enjoy a couple of their beers. I have not yet had the new Light beer. I had their previous offering, "Lightship<" which I recall as tasting very watered down and altogether uneventful.

Jim
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According to the brewer.....

Post by Mesa Maltworks »

Boston Beer Company's Samuel Adams Boston Ale:

An Amber Ale of 1.052/13 P, three kettle hop additions of Fuggles and Saaz, heavily dry hopped during conditioning with East Kent Goldings. This beer is krausened after sufficient hop contact and cold conditioned further.

Eric
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Lite beer resurgence

Post by jayhawk »

What is going on with the resurgence in "lite"? Sleeman, the Canadian national craft brewer, who until recently prided itself on tradition, just released Sleeman Lite. The big two, Labbatt and Molson, also just released Lites recently. Their beers were already bordering on horse piss. I also have seen Corona Lite. Corona Lite? What is going on here? Is this the backlash against the craft brew explosion of the previous decade?
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